Excavator.



PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

J. E. KENNEDY & F. J. HOBSON.

B-XGAVATOR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F L E 3 g 4%; a L 4 EE ks J No. 846,791. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907. J. E. KENNEDY & F. J. HOBSON. EXGAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6,1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q 19M140 o wvcn-tow No. 846,791. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

J. E. KENNEDY & F. J. HOBSON.

EXGAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a, 1906.

a SHEETS-SHEET s.

i twooa I I I 51 100 170w, z%

No. 846,791. v PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907. J.- E. KENNEDY & F. ;r.- HOBSON. EXGAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.6,1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

No. 846,791. PATENTED MAR. '12, 1907.

J. E. KENNEDY & F. J. HOBSON.

EXGAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

.- UNITED srarns ra 'rnn'r ojrrron.

'Jos PH KENNEDY, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AND FRANCIS J. HOBSON, F

, GUANAJUATO; MEXICO.

EXCAVATOR.

Patented March 12, 1907.

' To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH E. KEN- NEDY and FRANCIS J. HoBsoN, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of New York city, State of New York, and of Guanajuato, in the Republic of Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavators, of which the following is a specification. Our present invention relates to machines for use principally in min ng operations, in which the recoveredore is deposited in tanks to be leached orwashed or otherwise treated a for the recovery of its contents, and particularly has to do with machines designed to remove from the tank the finely-ground pulp after theleachingjor other operation in plants in which our device is especially useful. It is common practice to-install a row of tanks (usually circular) and apparatus which will fill these tanks with the ground pulp or fines, as it is often called. These tanks are usually arranged in series, so that a conveying apparatus of one form or another may readily operate to fill them, as

of and into the tanks we have arranged racks may be desired, and in cases with which we are familiar the tanks are of considerable size and hold a large amount of the fine ore; It is obviously advantageous to distribute the ore or pulp evenly in the tanks, and after the solutions are withdrawn from them the pulp,which is very fine, is compacted so as to make it difficult to remove.

Machines have been heretofore devised 3 5 which aim to distribute the pulp and afterward by use of the same machine to excavate it; but we do n'ot find these to be well adapted to their purpose, and therefore confine the machine to a single-,oflice and adopt other 40 means of distribution.

The machine of our invention consists, therefore, of a beam running upon wheels on a track and spanning aseries of tanks somewhat like a traveling crane. Apost P3881 ing through the center of this transverse beam may be raised or lowered and carries with it the excavating apparatus, consisting of a second transverse beam which may be' anchored to the sides of the tank by suitable 5o locking devices and which carries motive power for the excavator proper and the excavator itself, which consists of a spidercar' rying suitable plowshares designed to displace thematerial in the tank radially as the spider is revolved by the motor on the second beam. Each set of these plows takes up the workwhere the last left off and further advances the material either toward the center or toward the circumference (as the machine may be arranged) by a definite amount, leaving the advanced material in the path of the next succeeding set of plows, so that the progress of the material from the center to the circumference, or vice versa, is uninterrupted. Broadly speaking, the general arrangement thus described is old, excepting the arrangement of plows which we have just described; but heretofore the power'for revolving the excavating apparatus has been applied at thecenter and has been very conslderable. In our arrangement, however, we affix to the spider a gear which is operated by a motor near the cir- 'cumference of the tank, thus very greatly reducing the necessary power to operate the.

apparatus.

For raising and lowering the apparatus out upon the center post, with gears operated by an electric motor, and since we have found it desirable to lower the apparatus after it comes in. contact with the material in the tank at a very slow rate We arrange a shiftingarbor by-which after theap aratus has been lowered into the-tank to a out the proper height it is further lowered by means of a worm as slowly as may be desired. The

discharge of the tank as thus arranged may be either near the circumference or in the cenw ter. In practice the sands or pulp become acked over the opening, so that after the soution is drawn ofl they do not readily run out. To provide for this, we have arranged upon the machine a device which clears the opening and may then be run out of the: way

oi'the remainder of the operation, so as not to interfere with the movement of the excavator from one tank to another.

The accompanying drawings show an embodiment of our invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus with the tank shown in diagrammatic section. Fig. 2 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and. 4 are a plan and a side ber A, having a dischargeopening A, by which the ulp is carried to the travelingunder consideration may be arrange elevation, res ectively, of a modified form,

in which the ischarge is at the center. Figs. 5 and 5" are details of one'form of plow. Fig. 6 is a plan of the plow shown in Fig. 5. Figs.

7 and 7 are respectivelyen'd and side views conveyer, iagrammatically shown beneath. Upright guides or posts A A are shown attached to the sides of the tank for a purpose presently to be described. a

B B are the track-rails adjacent to the tank, it being understood. that as many similar tanks as may be necessary in the lant tween the rails. Y

Running upon Wheels 0 0 upon the tracks is the transverse beam 0. This carries at its center an arrangement of gears G hereafter to be described. These gears may raise and lower a center-post F, which bears racks f f and carries near lts bottom a second transverse beam D. a i

Part of the beam 0 is broken away in Fig. 2 to illustrate the construction more clearly. Fastening devices D, consisting of the handle d, the eccentric or-crank d, and the bolt 01 are provided at opposite ends of the beam D. In'the bolts d is a slot which registers with the guides A? 'A in the tank when the beam is brought to its pro er central position. These guides, as will be observed in Fig. 1, rise above the wall, so that the apparatus may be centered by them before it is lowered into the tank. Upon the beam D is located a motor I which drives, through beveled gears I I a pinion I, registerin with the main gear upon the spider, now to be de scribed.

"The s ider consists of eight arms E, although it is obvious that a greater or less number may be used. These are referably equally spaced, so that they wil balance properly. 'Each of the arms carries lows E F], those upon one arm being slig tly displacedxfrom those upon the armsnext to it, so that as the plows are turned toward or away from the center the direction of the discharge may be controlled that is to say, each set of plows takes up the work where those upon an adjacent arm left it and advances the pul toward the opening through which it is to be removed. At the ends are larger plows or scrapers E turned so that they bring the accumulated material carried to the circumference'of'the tank by the plows- E to the opening A, through which it may the raising and lowering 0 fall. 1 Connecting the arms E is the main gear E of the machine, meshing with the pinion I, already referred to. nected to the gear, making the whole structure rigid and substantial. By applying the power at the circumference, or approximately so, a small motor of moderate output may be employed, and a considerable saving in operation is effected. The whole spider is hung upon the post F by a bearing E which may be a ball-bearing or other antifriction arrangement. g

At H is illustrated the drill to which we have referred. It is carried in a frame H and supported by a counterweight (not illustrated) by means of a chain H being driven, through a gear H ,by any suitable means,

such as the motor I. The shaft of the drill is square, so that it may slide through the driving-gear.. It carries at the bottom the screw-thread H its operation being obvious without further description.

In Figs. 3 and 4 we show our device when I modified to effect the discharge of the'tank at the center instead of at the circumference. In these figures the plows have not been Braces E E are con- I illustrated, since their ofiice has already been explained. Here the auger or drill is arranged at the center of the apparatus and must be brought into action before the excavator. is centered. To effect this, the beam C isbrought to such a position (with the excavator raised) that the drill will tap the central hole of the discharge, and after the opening has been cleared the beam is run forward until the bolts (1 register with the guides A after which the excavator is lowered into the tank, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figs. 5, 5 and 6 show a modified form of I plow which may be employed for the purpose I of our invention. It consists of a troughshaped iron E, extending from the center t5 the circumference and lying at an an le to the radius. In the case illustrated, if t e direction of motion of the device be clockwise the plow, if arranged as in .Fig. 6 and with the trough facing in the direction of motion, will bring the material to the center; but obviously it might be arranged to carry it to the circumference as well-as, for example, by running the machine in the opposite direction and disposing the trough in the oppo-.

site way.

Figs. 7 and 7 show a modified form of plow. which may be used instead of the plow E shown in Figs. 1 and'Z; Figs. 8 to 12 show the gearing by which the apparatus is effected. Upon the shaft G is ,mounteda bevel-wheel G and the worm G The two are not in o eration at the same time, as will be made rther .apparent. We will describe the a paratus during the process of lifting, whic is effected by means of the racksfupon the post F'of 1 and 2, for examp e. The bevel-gear G rotates toward the spectator and the gear'G meshing with i which has fast upon its shaft the gear G meshing with one of the racks f upon the post F. Upon the shaft of the gear G G is a band-brake drum G, which it is unnecessary to describe further. The gear. G meshes also upon the other side 0 the apparatus (see Fig. 8 particularly) with the ear G". Fast upon the shaft with the gear G is a gear G These two gears rotate to the left in the y direction of the arrows shown upon them.

Now, referring to Fig. 10, the gear G meshes with the gear G having fast upon its shaft the gear G which cooperates with the other rack f, the arrangement of the racks being diagrammed in- Fig. 12. This is the part of the apparatus which raises the excavator from the tank. After this operation has been completed the band brake is brought intooperation, and the spider may beheld up" while the whole apparatus is shifted from one tank to another, or as long as may be desired. When it is desired to lower the spider, the arbor G13 is slid to the left, the pin 9 moving in the slot 9 (see Fig. 9) until the worm G 5 meshes with the wormgear G upon the shaft carrying the gears G G. This imparts a very much slower motion to the gear and also prevents any premature descent of the post F and the spider by gravity.

Under somecircumstances, as where the weight is not so great, the modification shown in Fig. 11 may be employed, in which only a single gear G is used, having one rack upon the post F, the flanged wheels g servin to keep the ear and the rack in mesh.

aving thus escribed our invention, what weclaim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is p 1. In an excavating apparatus, the combination, with a series of tanks and a track adjoining them, of a main truss spanningthe tanks and carried upon the track, a second transverse truss, means for anchoring the second truss in position relative to the tank; a spider carrying plows and having a 'circum ferential gear and a motor upon the an chored truss driving the spider through the circumferential gear.

2. The combination, with a tank, of tracks at the side thereof; .a transverse beam or truss spanning the tank and carried upon the tracks, a central post, gearing upon the truss for raising and lowering the central post,

a second truss carried upon the central post and having means for anchorin it inposi- 1 tion within the tank, and the s i er, also carned upon the post and'provi ed with excavatmg means, a motor upon the fixed truss,

.be rotated by power applied at or near its circumference.

4. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of the transverse beam or truss with a center postcarrying an anchored beam and a rotating spider, and means for driving the spider at or near its circumference; with gearing upon the transverse beam or truss coo erating with racks upon the post to raise t e apparatus out of the tank, and a worm-gear for lowering it thereinto at desired times.

5. In an excavating apparatus,'the combination with the anchored beam or truss, carried upon a central post, of a spider alsocarried upon the post, and driving connections between the two, at or near the circumference ,of the spider; and plows carried upon the arms of the spider, the plows u on any arm not tracking with those upon t e next arm in advance. g

6. In an excavating ap aratus, the combi nation with the anchore beam or.truss, of the spider, means for driving the spider, such means carried upon the anchored beam or truss, and plows carried upon the arms of the spider; the plows upon one arm taking up the material where those upon the arm in advance left it, and advancing it by a definite amount toward a discharge-opening, and

leaving it in the track of the plow next suc ceeding. 7. In an excavatin apparatus, thecombination of the tank wit the rotary excavating device carrying the excavated material to a discharge-opening, and a drill arranged to' clear the opening at desired times, as described and for the purpose set forth. 8. The combination, with the transverse beam or truss, of a second beam or truss carried thereby and having vertical movement, guides for the vertical movement of the beam or truss, an excavatin device having hori- 'zontal movements re ative to the second beam or truss, with means for driving the excavator whereby the second beam or truss is free to move vertically and is anchored against horizontal motion.

9. The combination, with the transverse beam or truss, of a second beam or truss carried thereby, such second beam or truss car- 'rying a rotary excavator and having vertical movement, with guides for such vertical movement and securing devices for fastening the beam or truss to the guides arranged to permit free vertical movement, and to anchor the beam or truss against revolution or other horizontal movement.

- spider.

-. the central post and carryingplows, a motor 10. The combination, with a transverse beam or truss, of a central post carrying a our second beam or truss, with means upon the first truss for raising or lowering the central post; guides for such vertical movement, such guides preventing radial or horizontal move- Witnesses as to Kennedy: ment of the truss; a spider journaledv upon M. A. NELSON,

ANITA BURKE.

Witnesses as toHobson:

P. S. SUJAN,

LUIs' OALDERQN.

JOSEPH E. KENNEDY. FRANCIS J.'HOBSON.Y

npon the anchored beam or'truss, and ear. mg interposed between the motor an v the In witness whereof We have hereunto set names 1n the presence of two witnesses. 

